Since some of the world’s largest gas reserves were discovered in Cyprus, the island has been coveted by fossil-fuel giants. The situation is burdening delicate negotiations on reunification
Between 2 and 4 December, Sarajevo was the most polluted capital in the world, at least according to data provided by US embassies, that constantly monitor the environmental situation of the cities where they are based
With the crisis, pressure on subsoil resources, minerals and hydrocarbons has increased in Greece. In Epirus and other regions local communities, worried about the long-term effects on the environment and quality of life, decided to react
In the Balkans, the construction is planned of 2,800 hydroelectric power plants – mostly small, but with devastating impact on the river environment. A group of activists and an annual Balkan Rivers Tour emerged to defend these waterways
Every year, a summer school brings together activists and researchers on the island of Vis in order to discuss sustainability and social equality. OBCT's correspondent was there this year
Tomislav Tomašević, 38, is the leader of the movement Zagreb je naš ("Zagreb is ours"). An activist, political scientist, and environmentalist, Tomašević represents to date the most dynamic opposition to Zagreb's unremovable mayor Milan Bandić. We met him
In all of EU countries Earth Overshoot Day – the date when all of the inhabitants have used more from nature than our planet can renew in the entire year – falls before 1 August, except for Romania.
Works are ongoing in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, for the construction of a pharaonic real estate project. Its impact on the landscape and environment risks being huge, and civil society has mobilized
On 13 February, female councillors from Armenia’s women-led opposition party Yerkir Tsirani were attacked, physically and sexually, during a Yerevan City Council session. The women were later blamed for the attack
Ljubljana is among the most accessible European capitals for cycling, and among the cities which have invested most in this mode of transport. An interview with Lea Ružič, president of the Ljubljana Cyclists Network
Tourism, traffic, pollution, and constructions. Plitvice, today, no longer rhymes with transparent waters and uncontaminated nature. And the lakes risk to be removed from the UNESCO heritage list
Wild, untamed mountains, poverty, and massive depopulation. In the villages of northern Albania, some resist the temptation to escape to the city and hope for a new beginning, made of sustainable rural development and alternative tourism. Our report
Mining is one of the most important sectors of the Armenian economy. Because of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the country now has to undertake a series of reforms for transparency and accountability
Serbia will need at least 918 million € to regulate the area of waste disposal. One of the main projects involves construction of regional landfills, that is, closing of the existing non-sanitary landfills which jeopardize human health
In tourist areas across Europe, the waste generated by tourism is managed by recycling and disposal systems that are often inefficient. An overview of the situation in South-East Europe
Georgia’s billionaire ex Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has been ripping up ancient and rare trees from across the country and transporting them to his private arboretum in Ureki. While the government claims it is for their own protection, activists continue to challenge the move
While the United Nations designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, Armenia is struggling to manage and make the best out of the potential of this sector
Massive land and real estate sale to foreign nationals in the central Balkan country points to growing corruption and brings little benefit to the country
Serbia has taken a commitment to produce energy from renewable sources, but it is building a new block of Kostolac B thermal power plant which will be using lignite coal
Despite the commitments defined by the Energy Community Treaty, most of the investments in the energy sector in the Western Balkans are still directed to coal plants
The story of a district forgotten by the authorities, made alive by citizens, and finally seized by force to build the pharanoic project “Belgrade on water”
The Šar Planina mountains are one of the richest biodiversity areas in the Balkans, but they are not protected. The project of a Natural Park could change the picture
A place for meetings and exchanges, the market at Şile, in Turkey, faces up to both the opportunities and the challenges presented by its proximity to the megalopolis of Istanbul
In the Strandzha mountains, on the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, proud, obstinate producers carry on making “kiselo mlyako” (sour milk), a thousand-year-old tradition
Lake Prespa, on the border between Macedonia, Albania and Greece preserves unique biodiversity and culinary traditions. Like that of the dried fish "cironki", whose origins are lost in time
